The Purge
by theybecameanimagi
Summary: After Fred's death, George wants nothing to do with anything that reminds him of his brother. Fortunately, Angelina is there to remind him that someday, he will want to remember Fred. George/Angelina.


Everything in George's room was a remind of Fred here, mostly failed experiments they hadn't bothered to move. Most of the "failures" had still made them laugh, but they hadn't been fit to sell to the paying public. Normally, those memories would make George laugh.

But today they just made him want break down in sobs. Why had his mother insisted he move back in?

If he would never see his brother again, then he didn't want any reminders. He wanted a clean start. George Transfigured a few pieces of junk they hadn't moved into boxes and began shoving things inside, as fast as he possibly could. Maybe if he moved fast enough, he wouldn't have to deal with the memories behind each and every possession. Their first attempts at love potions that had made made them fall in love with people they shouldn't, including family members/ (new ones made it impossible for love potions to work on someone with similar DNA as you) The first daydream potions that had given them trippy nightmares.

It _all_ had to go.

George grabbed something squeezing it hard in his frustration, but then-

WHAM. He flew across the room, slamming into the wall. For a few seconds, it was just like that cliche-George really did feel like he was seeing stars as he stared across the room, which swarmed around him. Oddly, it looked even more disorganized as it swam in and out of his vision. That was when he realized how limited his eyesight seemed to be-he was only seeing out of his right eye. He reached and realized that he must have a black eye…. It had probably been that punching telescope. He and Fred really should have gotten rid of it.

_Fred_...

George grabbed the box and stormed down the stairs, only to slam into someone. He fell to the ground, the boxes' content spilling everywhere. He glanced up and saw the person he had bumped into was Angelina Johnson, his and Fred's old friend from Quidditch and Hogwarts.

"I'm so sorry, George!" Angelina said. "I didn't mean to run into y-what happened to you?"

George stood up, resisting the urge to rub his aching bottom. He couldn't do that around Angelina… Why were his cheeks burning?

"Uh, just a malfunctioning product…" George said.

Angelina knelt to the ground and began to pick up some of the things that had spilled to the ground.

"Ohhhh, I remember you talking about developing the Ton Tongue Toffees at school!" She laughed. "Anyway, I thought I would come and visit you, if you needed some company…" She frowned. "You're not getting rid of them, are you?"

Standing there with Angelina, his old friend, he couldn't answer. Lying to his family was one thing, but there was something about the fierce way Angelina looked at him, eyes narrowed, standing straight and proud-she would _know_ if he lied to her...

"You are," Angelina said, mouth open. "Are you getting rid of everything that reminds you of Fred?"

Again, George couldn't answer. Lying to Ange didn't _feel_ right. Slowly, Angelina came over and wrapped her arms around George.

"I know I haven't gone through a loss as big… But when my grandmother died when I was little, I wanted to throw away everything that was hers, so I wouldn't have to deal with the pain of remembering. She was the one who taught me how to fly, you know?" She pulled away from George, hair swinging, and it was then that George noticed how pretty Angelina was with her long, thick curls. But no matter how beautiful she was, he was captivated more by her story. Had had Angelina coped? How did anyone?

George didn't answer her, mainly because he _didn't_ know about her grandmother. Angelina had never mentioned a grandmother before… He wasn't sure where this story was going.

"She died when I was ten, and as I got older, the memories began to fade." She sighed. "One day, I was upset about it and my mom came and-and when I told her what was wrong, that I was afraid I was forgetting Gran… She told me that they'd saved her broom, and had put a charm on it so all her Gran-smells would stay. When I held her broom, the one I'd learned to fly on, it was like I could hear her voice." She smiled sadly at George. "I know everything that reminds of you Fred hurts now, but I think you should keep his things." She squeezed George's shoulder, and George found that he could not keep back the tears anymore. They trailed down his face, and he practically choked on his sobs. The pain of his loss felt worse than the telescope and the fall, hands down. Maybe the telescope had been the Fred's way of warning him to keep his things… And maybe when that hadn't worked… Maybe Fred had sent him Angelina.

Angelina hugged him, and George took the warmth from her skin. She smelled like grass and broomstricks.

She gripped him tightly, as though to protect him from life's storms.

George would let her. Gladly.


End file.
